Banana Cream Pie Cookies

Or Banana Puddin' Cookies (for my suthun friends)

-No bananas were harmed while making these cookies-

This is a recipe I came across on Pinterest that I tweaked for my own liking. It is awesome! These cookies are a real treat and really taste like Banana Cream Pie! This recipe is the same as my chocolate chip cookie recipe--which we all know is downright perfect ;) with a few additions:

1 c. butter--softened to room temperature (STAY AWAY from the microwave!)
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 c. flour
1 (3.4 oz) package of dry Instant Banana Pudding mix
1 1/2 c. white chocolate chips
5 graham crackers--broken into small pieces, NOT crushed OR use Vanilla wafers broken into pieces to make this suthun!

Cream together butter and sugars using the paddle attachment on your mixer. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until fluffy again. In a separate bowl, combine salt, soda, flour, and pudding mix, then add slowly to wet ingredients (do not over mix). I toss the chocolate chips and graham crackers in just after I finish dumping the flour mix in, then, viola, cookie dough.

I use my cookie scoop to put cookies on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes, until they are barely turning golden brown around the edges. DO NOT over bake.

Taco Soup

Yes, it has been quite sometime, but we are finally getting settled in our new home and it is time for some more recipes! Fall is upon us, so soup is on the menu! This is one of the most easy crowd pleasing soups I make, and I mean easy.


1 lb ground meat (I use ground beef or ground turkey--usually 93% lean)
1 medium yellow or sweet onion--diced (If you want easy, use dried minced onion, if you want even easier, leave it out!)
1 (14.5 oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can of dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can of corn--do not drain
1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes with chilies (you can also use a can of just diced tomatoes and add a 4 oz can of diced chilies, OR you can use canned whole tomatoes or chilies and dice them yourself, or you can leave the chilies out all together--please don't though, they are so delicious!)
1 packet of taco seasoning (or 1/4 C of taco seasoning if you buy in bulk or make your own...I usually add more because we like spice)

Garnishes:
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream
Corn Chips
Cayenne Pepper

Add onion and ground meat to the bottom of a large saucepan and cook until meat is completely browned, add beans, corn, tomatoes (do not drain these), and taco seasoning. Stir and bring to a slow simmer. As soon as it is heated through you can eat! If you would like to let the flavors marinate a bit, add about a cup of water and let it simmer for a half hour or so.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and corn chips. Jax and I like to spice it up even more afterward with cayenne, that way we can serve it to the kiddos and still have it as spicy as we like it!

*Last time I made this, I used ground turkey that had already been cooked and had the taco seasoning put on it and frozen. I had previously made a huge batch of meat for taco salads and frozen half of it. I just tossed that frozen precooked meat into the crockpot then added the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer on low for four hours until we were ready to eat...easy peasy.

**This soup also makes a great freezer meal. Just let it cool and put it in a container or gallon bags and toss it in the freezer for a quick meal another day.

Ramen Noodle Salad

I got this recipe in college from my roommate, Shantae. It has been my favorite salad ever since. Don't make any substitutions or leave anything out, it will not be as good.

1 large head romaine lettuce

4 green onions (chopped)

2 Tab. sesame seeds

1 3oz. package Chicken flavored Ramen (crushed)

1/2 c. slivered almonds

In a large bowl, combine noodles,  onions, sesames seeds, almonds and lettuce. Toss with dressing just before serving.

Dressing:

1 chicken flavor packet (from the Ramen noodles)

3 Tab. white vinegar 

2 Tab. sugar

2 Tab. canola oil

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients and shake or stir to mix well. Pour over salad and toss. 

This salad does not keep well, so it must be devoured immediately, which should be no problem since it is absolutely delicious. We like this salad so much it has been our main dish at dinner on many occasions.

Cooked Play Dough

1 c. flour

1 Tab. oil
1 c. water
1/2 c. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
food coloring (can be added before cooking or while kneading) or *Kool Aid

  *Kool Aid adds color and a fun scent I used grape for this batch

Mix dry ingredients (including kool aid if you are using it) together in a medium saucepan. Add wet ingredients and mix together. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, until it forms into a ball. (No more than five minutes) Knead until smooth. Store in an airtight container or refrigerate.

Peanut Butter Popcorn

This is a family recipe. Everyone loves this stuff. My mom likes to make it with plenty of peanuts. She would always make an extra batch just for my dad that he would stash in his room.

4 quarts popped corn (1/2 c. unpopped kernels)

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup

1/2 c. honey

1 c. peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. peanuts (I like to use lightly salted, dry roasted)

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and honey in a small saucepan. Boil for 2 minutes on medium high. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Pour over popcorn and peanuts. Stir with a long handled spoon until well coated. Spread out on a cookie sheet to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are Jaxon's favorite cookies! He especially likes to snitch the cookie dough.

1 c. butter, softened (the best way is to leave it out on the counter until it reaches room temperature. Don't warm it up in the microwave!)

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 c. (or more;) chocolate chips

Cream together butter and sugars in a mixing bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture a little at a time. Use a 1 inch cookie scoop to form balls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

I place as many 1 inch balls of cookie dough on a cookie sheet as I can and place them in the freezer until they harden. Then I put them in a gallon freezer bag and save them for those moments when you just have to have a fresh baked cookie.

Cornmeal Blueberry Pancakes

This is a recipe that I go off of the foil top of Dannon yogurt. The original recipe calls for plumped raisins, but we use fresh blueberries instead.

Dry ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. cornmeal

3 Tab. granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

Wet ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Vanilla, Strawberry, or blueberry nonfat Yogurt

2 large eggs

1/4 c. canola oil

1/2 c. fresh blueberries, rinsed

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together yogurt, egg and oil with a fork. Stir this into the flour mixture just until incorporated.

Heat a lightly greased large nonstick skillet or griddle over moderately low heat until hot.

Pour 1/4-cup of batter onto skillet in batches, forming 3 1/2-inch cakes. Add blueberries to the individual cakes. Cook about 3 minutes, or until golden, turn and cook 1 minute more.

Serve immediately or transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 250°F oven while cooking remaining cakes.

Serve warm vanilla buttermilk syrup or maple syrup.